This bantam coop was built using 1" x 3", 1" x 2" and 1" x 1" furring strips and one or two pieces of spare pine board.
There are two wheels that were re-purposed from a broken hand cart.
And the roof is Ondura from Lowe's. It is flexible, good looking and a good price for a big sheet. You can cut it with any saw, including a table saw (you just need to people when running through a big sheet since it is not stiff and bends all around while you are trying to cut).
I also re-used a lot of screws from the pony run-in we tore down. But, I also buy (more economical) big boxes of outdoor deck screws in a few different sizes to fill in the gaps on my many projects.
New chicken wire was purchased for this one, although I do re-use mesh wire if not too twisted up.
Oh, yes - I also re-use or buy the eye and hooks (the ones with a spring for security). It is a cheap ($1 or $2) and simple (just start a hole with a nail and hammer and screw in) way of closing nest box and entry doors on your coops.
note: I never use press/particle board for a new materials coop due to cracking and other durability issues.
This is the original plan pic I designed. I kept close to it. It was designed for the best use of wood lengths and standard chicken wire rolls. That really helped! So 2' x 3' x 6' bottom, 2' x 3' top section. Inside the nesting box is a row of board on the bottom that lift out one at a time. When you lift them out, all the bedding falls on the ground. They just sit on the bottom lined up and held in by the frame. One has a knob to grab onto.
When I make another one of these, I will leave the wheels off and use skids (just cut 45 degree angles on the boards you leave hanging out instead of attaching wheels). They are just not necessary. The coop is easy to drag to a new spot of grass.
I may add in a better auto water system that is bucket- based instead of my hanging soda bottle nipple drinker. And would consider a tube-style feeder instead of the hanging one. Overall, I am super happy with this design.
This coop houses 4-6 bantam chickens comfortably.
